RGV Exposes Bollywood's Dark 90s: When Mumbai Underworld Ruled Film Industry

Ram Gopal Varma has lifted the curtain on one of Bollywood's darkest chapters, detailing how Mumbai's underworld virtually controlled the film industry during the turbulent 1990s. In a candid conversation with crime writer Hussain Zaidi, the maverick filmmaker painted a chilling picture of how mafia syndicates led by dons like Dawood Ibrahim systematically terrorized the entertainment world.

What emerges from RGV's account isn't just a story about extortion, it's a tale of psychological warfare designed to establish absolute control over Bollywood. The underworld's strategy was brutally simple yet effective: target high-profile names like Rakesh Roshan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan to send a message across the entire industry. As Varma puts it, the gangs followed the principle of "kill one to collect from ten", eliminating select individuals to force compliance from everyone else.

The director's insights into Gulshan Kumar's 1997 assassination reveal the complex web of motives behind such attacks. While money was certainly a factor, Varma emphasizes that the T-Series founder's murder was equally about jealousy, power struggles, and his refusal to bow to mafia demands. Abu Salem and his associates used Kumar's killing as a demonstration of their reach, sending shockwaves through an industry already walking on eggshells.

Perhaps most telling is RGV's account of the 2000 attack on Rakesh Roshan. Following Hrithik's meteoric rise with "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai," gangsters attempted to gain control over the young star's dates and projects. When the senior Roshan refused to cooperate, bullets were fired outside his office: a stark reminder of the price of defiance in those lawless times.

Varma's revelations underscore how the underworld's grip extended beyond mere financial extortion to encompass every aspect of filmmaking: from casting decisions to star availability. This wasn't just about collecting protection money; it was about establishing a parallel power structure that could dictate the industry's functioning.

These testimonies serve as a crucial historical record of Bollywood's most vulnerable period, when creative freedom was held hostage by criminal enterprises that treated the film industry as their personal fiefdom.